15 Years Ago: STS-130 Delivers Tranquility and Cupola to Space Station

[NASA]

On Feb. 8, 2010, space shuttle Endeavour began its 24^th trip into space, on the 20A assembly mission to the International Space Station, the 32^nd shuttle flight to the orbiting lab. The STS-130 crew included Commander George Zamka, Pilot Terry Virts, and Mission Specialists Kathryn Hire, Stephen Robinson, Nicholas Patrick, and Robert Behnken. During the nearly 14-day mission, they worked jointly with the five-person Expedition 22 crew during nearly 10 days of docked operations. The mission’s primary objectives included delivering the Tranquility module and the cupola to the space station, adding 21 tons of hardware to the facility. Behnken and Patrick conducted three spacewalks to aid in the installation of Tranquility.  

The STS-130 crew patch.

Official photograph of the STS-130 crew of Nicholas Patrick, left, Terry Virts, Robert Behnken, Kathryn Hire, George Zamka, and Stephen Robinson.

The International Space Station 20A assembly mission payload patch. 

In the Vertical Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers prepare to lift Endeavour to mate it with its external tank and solid rocket boosters.

Space shuttle Endeavour rolls out of the assembly building for its journey to Launch Pad 39A.

The STS-130 astronauts leave crew quarters for the ride to Launch Pad 39A.

Liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour on STS-130.

Endeavour rolled out to Launch Pad 39A on Jan. 6, 2010, targeting a Feb. 7 launch. The crew arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Feb. 3 to prepare for launch. Inclement weather delayed the initial launch attempt by 24 hours. On Feb. 8, at 4:14 a.m. EST, space shuttle Endeavour lifted off, carrying its six-person crew. The flight marked Robinson’s fourth trip into space, previously serving as a mission specialist on STS-85, STS-95, and STS-114, Zamka’s, Hire’s, Patrick’s, and Behnken’s second time in space, having flown on STS-120, STS-90, STS-116, and STS-123, respectively, while Virts enjoyed his first taste of weightlessness. 

STS-130 Commander George Zamka, left, Mission Specialist Stephen Robinson, and Pilot Terry Virts on Endeavour’s flight deck on the mission’s first day in space.

The shuttle robotic arm grasps the Orbiter Boom Sensor System for the wing leading edge inspection.

Endeavour as seen from the space station during the rendezvous.

View of the space station from Endeavour during the rendezvous.

After reaching orbit, the astronauts opened the payload bay doors, deployed the shuttle’s radiators, and removed their bulky launch and entry suits, stowing them for the remainder of the flight. They spent six hours on their second day in space conducting a detailed inspection of Endeavour’s nose cap and wing leading edges, taking turns operating the shuttle remote manipulator system, or robotic arm, and the Orbiter Boom Sensor System.  

On the mission’s third day, Zamka assisted by his crewmates brought Endeavour in for a docking with the space station. During the rendezvous, Zamka stopped the approach at 600 feet and completed a pitch maneuver so astronauts aboard the station could photograph Endeavour’s underside to look for any damage to the tiles. Zamka then manually guided Endeavour to a docking at the Pressurized Mating Adapter-2 attached to the Harmony module. After docking, the crews opened the hatches and the five-person station crew welcomed the six-member shuttle crew. Patrick and Expedition 22 Flight Engineer Timothy “T.J.” Creamer used the space station robotic arm to remove the inspection boom and hand it off to the shuttle arm operated by Hire and Virts. At the end of the day, Behnken and Partick entered the station’s airlock, reduced its pressure and breathed pure oxygen for an hour before and an hour after sleep to rid their bodies of nitrogen to prevent the bends. 

Transfer of the Tranquility and cupola modules from the space shuttle to the space station.

Robert Behnken, left, and Nicholas Patrick during the mission’s first spacewalk.

STS-130 astronauts Stephen Robinson, top left, and Terry Virts and Expedition 22 Flight Engineer Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) in the newly installed Tranquility module.

Nicholas Patrick, left, and Robert Behnken during the mission’s second spacewalk.

The astronauts completed the major transfer activity of the mission on flight day five, a highly choreographed spacewalk and robotics effort to move the Tranquility and cupola modules from the shuttle to the station. Behnken and Patrick exited the airlock to begin the mission’s first excursion, first venturing to the shuttle payload bay to remove launch locks from Tranquility. Virts and Hire used the station arm to remove the joined modules from the payload bay and attach it to the Unity module’s port side. Behnken and Partick connected temporary heater and data cables to the new module. This first spacewalk lasted six hours 32 minutes. The next day, the joint crews began outfitting Tranquility and preparing to relocate the cupola from the end of the module to its Earth-facing port. 

On the mission’s seventh day, some of the astronauts continued outfitting and configuring the new modules. In the meantime, Behnken and Patrick stepped outside for a five-hour 54-minute excursion, to install ammonia coolant loops and thermal blankets to protect the ammonia hoses, and outfitted Tranquility’s Earth-facing port to accept the cupola. 

Relocation of the cupola to Tranquility’s Earth-facing port.

Kathryn Hire, left, Terry Virts, and Expedition 22 Commander Jeffery Williams operate the space station’s robotic arm to relocate the cupola.

During the mission’s third spacewalk, Nicholas Patrick, left, and Robert Behnken remove thermal blankets from the cupola.

Terry Virts, left, and Jeffery Williams in the cupola after opening the windows for the first time.

The next day, Hire and Virts, assisted by Expedition 22 Commander Jeffery Williams, used the station’s robotic arm to relocate the cupola. On flight day 9, Behnken and Patrick operated the station arm to relocate the Pressurized Mating Adapter-3 from Harmony to Tranquility. The crews continued internal cargo transfers and began outfitting the cupola.  

On the mission’s 10^th day, Patrick and Behnken completed their third and final spacewalk. During the five-hour 48-minute excursion, they removed thermal blankets and launch locks from the cupola, installed handrails, connected the second cooling loop on Tranquility, and connected heater and data cables. Inside the cupola, Hire and Virts installed the robotics workstation. Across their three spacewalks, Behnken and Patrick spent 18 hours 14 minutes outside. 

Stephen Robinson, left, Soichi Noguchi of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Nicholas Patrick transfer an environmental control system rack into Tranquility.

George Zamka cuts the ribbon to officially open Tranquility for business, as Jeffery Williams looks on.

The 11 members of STS-130 and Expedition 22 pose for a final photograph before saying farewell.

The STS-130 crew poses in the cupola.

Fisheye lens view of the two crews enjoying a meal together.

The crews spent flight day 11 outfitting Tranquility with systems racks and other equipment moved from the Destiny U.S. Laboratory module. Virts finished installing robotic workstation equipment in the Cupola. Behnken and Partick transferred their spacesuits back to the shuttle for return to Earth. The crew received a phone call from President Barack Obama and several schoolchildren. Zamka and Virts used the shuttle’s thrusters to reboost the space station.  

The next day, after holding a news conference with reporters on the ground, shuttle commander Zamka and station commander Williams held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally declare Tranquility and the cupola open for business. After a final meal together, the two crews held a farewell ceremony, returned to their respective spacecraft, and closed the hatches.  

The space station seen from Endeavour during the fly-around with the Tranquility and cupola modules.

Endeavour as seen from the space station during the fly-around, with a now empty payload bay.

Endeavour touches down at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Workers ensure that Endeavour is safe after landing.

The STS-130 astronauts pose on the runway at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The welcome home ceremony for the STS-130 crew at Ellington Field in Houston.

On flight day 13, with Virts at the controls, Endeavour undocked from the space station, having spent nearly 10 days as a single spacecraft. The astronauts used the shuttle’s arm and boom sensors to perform a late inspection of Endeavour’s thermal protection system. On flight day 14, Zamka and Virts tested the orbiter’s reaction control system thrusters and flight control surfaces in preparation for the next day’s entry and landing.  

On Feb. 22, Hire and Robinson closed Endeavour’s payload bay doors. The six astronauts donned their launch and entry suits and strapped themselves into their seats. Zamka and Virts fired Endeavour’s two Orbital Maneuvering System engines to bring them out of orbit and Zamka guided Endeavour to a smooth touchdown at Kennedy’s Shuttle Landing Facility. The landing capped off a successful mission of 13 days, 18 hours, six minutes and 217 orbits of the Earth. Workers at Kennedy towed Endeavour to the processing facility to prepare it for its next and final flight, STS-134 in May 2011, and the astronauts returned to Houston for a welcoming ceremony at Ellington Field. 

Watch the crew narrate a video about the STS-130 mission.  

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